The Way: Beginning Series

The Way: Beginning

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I. Introduction

The cross closed the last chapter of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He taught His disciples many wonderful and eternal things, but no longer would He be with them in human form. Jesus’ death on the cross was the greatest victory of all. It was victory over death and anything that I can say or do will never make it more or less than that. Further, in keeping the cross in mind, we must remember two things. (1) In John 19:30, Jesus said, “It is finished.” What does that mean? It means when we put our faith in the finished work of the cross, we are no longer on the earthly side of the cross we are on the heavenly side. The key is the word ‘finished.’ When we put our faith in the ‘finished work’ of the cross, we ‘cross’ over to the heavenly side. The picture of the cross is a reminder of the death and suffering of Jesus. And, it should be that, a reminder of the death and suffering of Jesus. It was the only way. It was the only acceptable payment by the only begotten Son for the many sins of the people. (2) He is no longer hanging on the cross. He said it’s finished! Yet, we continue to hang onto the cross as if it has some power. The power is in the blood that was shed on that cross! When we try to commercialize the cross with movies and gimmicks we are usually coming from the wrong side of the cross.

When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you switch from the death and suffering side of the cross to the HEAVENLY.SIDE, the life side of the cross. The curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn in two. The curtain that separated the place where the priests would meet with God once a year and only with blood was torn from the top to the bottom! The way to God was opened through His Son, Jesus Christ. The curtain symbolized God’s Son giving His life for us.

“Who will tear the curtain?”

Jesus was laid in the tomb and after the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to anoint Jesus’ body. And, as they were going to Jesus, as they were approaching the tomb, they asked each other.

“Who will roll away the stone?”

Following this, two of Jesus’ disciples were walking along to Emmaus and discussing what had happened in Jerusalem.

“Who will I meet on the way to Emmaus?”

The angel of the Lord told Mary Magdalene that Jesus was going on ahead of them into Galilee.

“Who will go before us to Galilee?”

Jesus walked through the walls and doors of the upper room to where the eleven were eating.

“Who will I meet in Church?

When Jesus appeared to the disciples, he breathed on them and told them to “receive the Holy Spirit.”

“Who will provide for me?”

Jesus ascended into heaven but has made a promise to those that have put their faith in Him.

“Who will come back for me?”

Who will tear the curtain?

In the 3rd chapter of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we see man separating himself from God by attempting to make himself equal to God. Because of that sin we have been kept from seeking a private audience with the Father. God could not let Himself be seen. If a sin-filled man were to look upon God, he would surely die. Additionally, God came and dwelt in the temple that Moses constructed, however, there were limitations. In Exodus 26, we see God separating Himself with a curtain from man, in order to protect them from His glory.

Exodus 26:31-33 "Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman. 32 Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. 33 Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.”